by Jack Challis
Blodwyn searched for her torch getting ready at the same time to vacate the cave, storm or no storm. The torch beam revealed a small colony of tiny, winged dinosaurs that were beginning to stir. (These were the distant ancestors of bats.) They were certainly not there when she had entered: eureka! There must be a small entrance somewhere overhead; a small entrance that possibly could be made bigger in the morning. Blodwyn fell asleep, feeling optimistic.
But dawn and the rising sun brought disappointment; she would need a pneumatic drill to widen the hole in the cave roof. She would have to think of something else.
Several miles away the Cold-bloods arose as the sun warmed their scaly, striped bodies; they put out their fires and faced the sun. Soon they were at their fighting temperature and ready for the hunt. Led by their reptile Queen they moved at a jog in extended line, like beaters on a pheasant shoot.
These distant ancestors of the Malis Afar were determined to find the strange insect being from the stars. The small river that was later to become the mighty Amazon was soon crossed. The storm had wiped out all of Blodwyn’s tracks; but it was of little use as the abandoned space-chariot was now in view; the spear still embedded. The lazy jog soon turned into a run. Reaching the craft they approached cautiously.
‘It is dead Mother Queen – you have killed it!’
‘Idiot…this is not alive – the ugly creature inside was – it has now gone. Many moons ago I saw something bigger land here… small beings with big eyes came out and picked up stones. When they saw me they quickly left, back to the stars, traveling as fast as lighting.’
‘What will we do to the insect creature when we capture her Mother
Queen?’ asks another warrior.
‘We kill it – did you see how ugly it was… not beautiful like your mother?’
‘Why kill it mother?’ asks another.
‘Because, fool – the insect will talk to the stars – to others of its kind who will come to kill us. Now carry this iron dragonfly– we must not lose it – it has secrets.’ (To Queen Raa, only reptiles and insects lived in her prehistoric world.)
Four lizard-men pick up the space-chariot. The hunt continues. On reaching the rocky ridge the hunters stop and scan for clues.
‘Look! Ferns have been cut recently – the creature is here.’ They begin to thoroughly check every small cave.
‘The insect is in here!’ They had found Blodwyn’s cave. ‘Shall I go in and catch it…will it bite mother Queen?’ asks a warrior. ‘Get out of the way you sissy!’ Screams the raptor Queen, ‘I will show you how to deal with the insect.’ Raa puts her head into the entrance and tries to force her way in… but her hips are too big: she becomes stuck. ‘Help me you fools,’ she screams.
‘Shall we push mother Queen?’ they ask.
‘No you idiots – that will make it worse,’ spits the reptile Queen – pull me out.’ It is plain to see all her warrior sons are intimidated by their short-tempered mother; some begin pulling at one of her powerful hind legs, afraid to touch her prized tail. Pull my tail you fools,’ she screams. Four of her sons comply in a tentative fashion. ‘Harder… harder…Oooouch… not that hard you idiots.’ She is pulled free. The vain reptile queen inspects her tail: ‘I have lost a scale – imbeciles! Bring wood – we will burn the creature out!’ screams the raptor Queen.
Much wood is gathered and pushed into the cave then dry tinder; the fire is lit by striking flints. The cave sucks in the flames like a pot-bellied stove. The heat is so great that the Cold-bloods are forced to move back.
“Nothing could survive in that cave,” Blodwyn says to herself as she looked down from above; she had thought it wise to move further up the ridge earlier that morning, before the sun warmed the cold-bloods.
Suddenly an orange streak split the cloudless sky – the space-chariot disintegrated – the Galla Qualls were back! She looked up; an armed frigate hovered above the ridge. Another burst of proton cannon over the heads of the Cold-bloods was all that was needed before they fled. Back over the river and into cover they.
‘You see,’ the raptor Queen announces between deep breaths. The insect being had spoken to the stars last night – did you see their power – their lighting. One day … all will tremble when our names are mentioned – one day we will rule the stars!’
‘I am so sorry about the space-chariot!’ Blodwyn apologies back on the Time-ship.
‘It is a small price to pay for your help on Quilla Prime and Signusgraag,’ answers Admiral Sebus. ‘Here is a new pair of ‘glass-eyes.’ Blodwyn put them on they were exact replicas with clear telium lenses, perfect.
‘Sleep now ….you will awake five hundred million years in the past and see our distant ancestors… see how we once looked.’ Blodwyn was excited at the thought, but shattered.
Chapter Twenty Four
A Mar-Lissa’s Dangerous Pets
No coward’s tears the black Serpentils wept;
around their necks hung their Mar-Lissa’s inscription.
Through the dim labyrinth they boldly stepped;
regardless of the Narr-Oracle’s strict partition.
Watched by scuttling,
Nemid-Slids who slithered and crept:
They paid no respect to a Mar-Lissa’s high position.
With Flickering tongues and reptile eyes wide open
the Serpentils slept.
Expanding their serpent hoods into the Prism they leapt:
to fight for their lovely Mar-Lissa’s first starlit,
secret benediction.
‘Back on the Time-ship. As soon as Blodwyn woke up and saw Admiral Sebus on the bridge. ‘Thank you for all my wonderful experiences.’
‘You are to see much more, young Terasil,’ answers the Galla Quall. Blodwyn thought the Galla Quall looked worried even though his species had no expressive facial muscles. Admiral Sebus was concerned about the timing of their arrival on Quilla Prime; he still was not sure if five hundred million years BC was correct? All his calculations were just an intelligent guess, worked out using a massive brain that his cartilage body was just able to support. How would the super fast Time-ship cope with the prolonged speed; could it bring them back? How long could they linger in the past before Time caught them up; what would be their fate if it did? There was no second chance: their Time-ship could only make the journey once!
‘Admiral,’ ventures Blodwyn, feeling rather embarrassed at having to impose on him further with such a selfish problem like starving! Nectar and fruits she found tasty were not very substantial. There was no substitute for a big lump of cheese or a meat pie!
‘I have no food left…. I am literally starving,’ she announces putting on a rather sorrowful and famished face, ‘you see I have eaten all my food… the little Sisling is also hungry… there is no more pollen toffee left. We Terasils can die overnight without food you know.’
‘Ahhh yes… Terasils and their active stomachs,’ says Sebus with a faint smile, ‘the cabinet that kept your food fresh has two buttons – a blue one to keep it fresh and a green one to replicate any of the food stored within…. food and flavors are only atoms… I designed the unit myself….’
Before the alien could finish, Blodwyn was half way to her quarters and woke up the Sisling. “Why hadn’t he told me earlier?” thought Blodwyn. She pressed the green button… the exact amount of pies, cheese, etc first placed within the cabinet appeared miraculously. She ate a hot home-made pork pie filled with the best pork and full of jelly: delicious.
The little Sisling meanwhile stuffed its face with pollen toffee; both antennae twitching with Ling greediness.
‘You are a cannibal’ says the Sisling, pulling a disgusted face and removing itself away from the smell of meat. Blodwyn felt guilty, her craving for meat was so strong.
‘Besides, I don’t eat all meat,’ she defends… ‘I would not eat a dog-pie or a cat and kidney pudding for example.’ She knew this was a weak and rather senseless argument.
‘One day I am go
ing to become a vegetarian.’ announces Blodwyn sanctimoniously, all sweetness and light, ‘but not yet!’ She then bit into a piping hot lamb pie in thick gravy: yummy. Appetite satiated, she started to feel guilty and began to ponder the goodness of vegetarians and the wickedness of meat eaters! Her best friend Myfanwy Jenkins had once became a vegetarian for a whole fortnight… and promptly broke out in red spots and pimples!
During that time Blodwyn suggested to her parents that perhaps the whole family should all become vegetarians; being small holders, meat was on the menu three times a day. She recalled an exchange that she had with them on this subject.
‘Gordon Bennet!’ her father had exclaimed, ‘you can’t do a hard day’s work on rabbit food – I am not walking around with a nose-bag full of vegetables – munching all day. Besides I have never seen a healthy looking veggie yet… they always look pale, tired and boney – look at Myfanwy – she is already covered in spots – and God knows what else. She has only been a veggie for a week. And there is Ms Ellis, the librarian – a veggie most of her life… she looks as if she has spent the last ten years in the Gulag archipelago! She always smells of a cabbage about to go off!’
‘Shut up Brian Jones,’ said Blodwyn’s Mother… that is just the hippy perfume and soap she makes herself… probably made out of cabbages… very environmentally friendly is Ms. Ellis.’
‘What about Quorn Mom?’ Blodwyn had suggested.
‘Quorn does not grow on the back of our animals,’ answered her Mother, ‘it costs money. I would like to see a vegetarian do my work on a lettuce sandwich, three nuts and a cup of lavender tea. I was talking to Myfanwy’s mother this very morning,’ continued Blodwyn’s mother.
‘Mrs Jenkins claims Myfanwy now only eats pulses and is thinking of becoming a Jain…. which means Myfanwy will have to force herself to stay in bed all day… in case she stands on an insect and kills it. Myfanwy…’ continued Blodwyn’s mother, ‘now has barely the strength to operate the remote control of the television in her bedroom and has taken to fainting whenever she is asked to do something. Worst of all, according to Mrs Jenkins Myfanwy’s bedroom smells like a rabbit hutch that has not been cleaned out for a month!’ at this Blodwyn had giggled.
‘If I catch you hugging a tree next,’ continued her Mother ‘it will be the wooden spoon for you my girl.’
Blodwyn had decided to drop the subject. If she wanted to be a vegetarian she would have to wait until her parents died of old age and marry the first millionaire that passed and proposed marriage… then she could lie in bed and eat Quorn all day… and faint when asked to do anything; but she would draw the line at Jainism.
Back in the present-past, Blodwyn was worried by the initial acceleration of the Time-ship at full warp. “Would it be traumatic? Would the G-force stretch her skin? Would she end up looking like one of those Chinese wrinkled dogs? Was the fear of Time catching them up a reality… or just a possibility; even the Galla Qualls did not know! What if they got to Quilla Prime too early or too late?”
One thing was for certain – traveling at the speed of Time they were safe from attack by the Malis Afar Cold-bloods… nothing could catch them. She had been told that any large meteors in their path would be deflected or smashed by the super hard telium hull; however the large asteroids had to be avoided at all costs. There seemed so many different dangers… it seemed pointless worrying until something actually happened. Blodwyn had not long to wait.
All three Galla Qualls were on the bridge monitoring take off when Blodwyn appeared unnoticed and sat down. The acceleration pinned her to her seat and placed a silly enforced grin on her face, her tummy was in turmoil but that soon passed: she relaxed.
All the crew was intent on their instruments and scanners. The three Qualls were standing by the ship’s computer, still worrying, debating the timing of their arrival on Quilla Prime: too early and the large inland sea would still be intact; too late and one of the lakes would be dry and their distant aquatic ancestors would be dead!
An excited shout from an Ida Jaade on the scanners broke the concentrated silence.
‘Admiral! Someone has fired a torpedo at us from the rear – it is catching us up.’
‘Impossible!’ answers Admiral Sebus, studying the screen, ‘it is true… amazing… we must increase speed to full time-warp… out run the torpedo.’
Blodwyn felt the extra surge of speed taking them to full power: her pulse racing as the thrusters of the ship throbbed to their maximum. The torpedo chasing their wake was a red ball of fire and was still gaining on them.
‘Even our Hydra torpedoes do not posses such speed!’ Exclaims Commander Zander, ‘there is nothing else we can do.’
All eyes are fixed on the ball of fire as it approaches. Blodwyn closed her eyes: ready for impact.
But instead of hitting the Time-ship the ball of fire over takes; rocking the massive ship which made Blodwyn open her eyes – the ball of fire had a face – and a frightening one at that.
Overtaking the Time-ship the ball of fire continues: then stops in their path.
‘Thrusters in reverse… to avoid collision!’ orders the Admiral, ‘we are being stopped by a Higher Being… collision with it would be catastrophic.’
It is soon clear to Blodwyn that the Time-ship could not stop in time to avoid collision. The large ball of fire quickly rearranged itself into a giant voluptuous female – which physically stops the ship with her hands – then gazes with interest at those within.
‘We have been stopped by a Mar-Lissa!’ announces the Admiral. The natural red crests of all the Ida Jaade warriors spring upright in fear, for Mar-Lissas could be unpredictable: sometimes malicious.
‘Do not show alarm… but respect,’ instructs the Admiral.
Blodwyn knew how the Mar-Lissa would enter the tightly sealed ship; just like the Ora-Pellas had on the Na Idriss battleship. She hid behind the Ida Jaade, out of sight and kept her eyes on the sealed door of the bridge. A thin wisp of red smoke appeared. The red smoke grew in density and formed a figure of a beautiful female, dressed in a white, silk ancient Greek costume, her long hair hung in ringlets: her lovely almond eyes were a fiery red… but they soon turned a beautiful pristine blue. Blodwyn could smell the sweet fragrance of wild woodbine; the Mar-Lissa was a Star-worshiper.
Admiral Sebus bows, low, followed by all the other members of the crew; Blodwyn hid in the throng – she knew about Mar-Lissas on her first quest – from the Serpentil Captain Cintilla who defeated the Na Idriss on Tarrea-one. The Serpentils had been looking for a Terasil companion for their powerful Queen and Mistress!
‘Welcome Your Highness,’ says Sebus.
The Mar-Lissa looks around in true regal fashion. The Mar-Lissa had a majestic presence; certainly not like the frivolous Ora-Pellas. This was not royalty inherited by privilege of birth; a person who had to breath every few seconds, eat, sleep of go to the toilet like everyone else. This was true Royalty: an immortal!
‘Open the door of your landing bay,’ orders the Mar-Lissa, ignoring the Admiral’s greeting. She spoke slowly with total confidence.
‘My Serpentils wish to inspect this fine new ship.’
‘Flat snake heads – with tails!’ shouts the Centurion Ida Jaade Marcus in alarm, forgetting himself.
‘My Serpentils are reptilian like the Ida Jaade,’ answers the Mar-Lissa. They are my pets… quite intelligent in a reptilian way… sometimes I swear they understand every word I say.’
The door to the bridge opens. Six black, shiny Serpentils; snake-heads with their neck-hoods expanded and mouths wide agape in alarm enter: their prehensile tails twitching from side to side. They are totally covered in small jet-black glossy scales that acted as natural amour; all carry a sword in each hand. The Serpentils studied their new surroundings with lid-less, unblinking snake eyes. Like all snakes, in order to focus their eyes Serpentils had to move their heads forwards or backwards or from side to side. The Serpentils are muscular in build with cylindrical chests, all
around six feet tall. Apart for a double crossed habergeon on their backs: they wear no uniform.
The Ida Jaades’ red crests shoot up with alarm, they draw their swords. The three Galla Qualls present watch calmly with large, dark intelligent liquid eyes.
The six Serpentils study all before them, their long, black tongues flicking in and out, tasting the air. These reptilian alien newcomers to the Antares Cluster had no friends among the Advanced Races and were despised. They were classed as Primitives; because they swallowed their fare – usually rabbit-sized rodents, whole and alive! Their prehensile tails were used in battle. As Cold-bloods Serpentils were greatly feared for their lightening speed, when at the right fighting temperature: they were also venomous! At every chance the Advanced Races would destroy these repulsive looking reptilian aliens. Perhaps that was why the Mar-Lissa took pity on this persecuted species and had adopted them.
The Mar-Lissa addresses the Serpentils,
‘You are here to observe not fight – sheathe your swords.’
The Serpentils obey; relaxing the ribs on their necks that gave them a cobra hood.
‘Now,’ continues the Mar-Lissa, ‘look around – do not touch anything – do not take anything. This is how a space ship should be built.’
The Serpentils look around in wonder at the fastest and most powerfully armed warship in the Antares Cluster; tilting their large, flat snakeheads from one side to the other; they hiss in amazement and appreciation at all the sophisticated equipment and computers.
